APA Citation

MLA Citation

Uniting Church in Australia. Frontier Services. and Flynn, John. and McKay, Fred. and Australian Inland Mission Aerial Medical Service. Records of the Uniting Church in Australia Frontier Services, 1897-2011 [manuscript] 1897

The great bulk of MS 5574 is correspondence files with various subject headings. There are also minutes, financial records, maps, plans, photographs, news cuttings, printed material. All aspects of the Australian Inland Mission (AIM) are represented, including history, the Aerial Medical Service, hospitals and hostels, United Church in Northern Australia, National and State Councils, publicity material, Far North Children's Health Scheme, Federal Methodist Inland Mission, patrol padres, Reverend John Flynn and Reverend Fred McKay. There are also several artefacts and pieces of AIM equipment (509 boxes, 14 fol. boxes).

The Acc12.048 instalment comprises correspondence, articles, notes and biographies of key leaders, newsletters, brochures, committee notes, statistics, reconstruction and construction specifications and designs, legal files relating to bequests and labour disputes, minute books, annual reports, business plans, patrol reports, property negotiation papers, agreements and project plans all documenting the history of the Uniting Church in Australia with particular focus on the AIM and Frontier Services.

The instalment also contains plaques, photographs, and substantial sets of maps, building designs and diagrams, and promotional and reporting audio visual kits about the operations of the church in remote areas of outback Australia. Of interest are records pertaining to various hospitals, hostels, aged care facilities, kindergartens as well as relationships between the church and indigenous Australians and links with mining companies (12 boxes, 12 map folios).

Biography/History

The Australian Inland Mission was established by the Presbyterian Church of Australia's Board of Inland Missions on the recommendation of Reverend John Flynn, in 1912. Flynn was appointed organizing agent and superintendent. Eight patrols and hospitals in several towns formed the basis of AIM activities, which also included the Far North Children's Health Scheme, Old Timer's Homes, hostels and colleges. The Flying Doctor Service was established and administered by the AIM from 1928-1939 at Cloncurry, then was incorporated into the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. In 1977 the AIM changed its name to Uniting Church in Australia Frontier Services.

Notes

Manuscript reference no.: MS 5574, MS Acc12.048.

Cited In

Guide to collections of manuscripts relating to Australia, D935.

Index/Finding Aid Note

Finding aid (317 p.) available in the Pictures and Manuscripts Reading Room.

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Members of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Maori communities are advised that this catalogue contains names and images of deceased people. All users of the catalogue should also be aware that certain words, terms or descriptions may be culturally sensitive and may be considered inappropriate today, but may have reflected the author's/creator's attitude or that of the period in which they were written.